In the past two years, eight AAE employees received recognition for their outstanding work from the Purdue College of Engineering’s annual Staff Awards of Excellence.

Lead research engineer Rohan Gejji (third from left, above) received the 2024 Outstanding Research Staff Award for extraordinary contributions in research excellence, innovation in experimental methodologies, fostering a culture of collaboration and mentoring the next generation of engineers.

AAE also had finalists in three other categories: operations manager April Sauer (second from left), for the Customer Service Excellence Award; senior test engineer Jason Gabl (fourth from left) and administrative assistant Liz Quinlan (not pictured) for the Outstanding New Employee Award. Also pictured above: AAE department head Bill Crossley (far left) and AAE faculty Carson Slabaugh (second from right) and Tim Pourtpoint (far right).

At the 2023 Staff Awards of Excellence, James Goppert (far left, above), managing director of the Purdue UAS Research and Test Facility (PURT) won the Outstanding Research Staff Award. He was selected for “striving to increase opportunities to collaborate with researchers across the university and further with the design and construction of the Purdue UAS Research and Test Facility.”

Tony Cofer (center left), spacecraft laboratory engineer, was also a finalist for the Outstanding Research Staff award in 2023. AAE event planner Maureen Kane (center right) was a finalist for the New Employee Award for support and service staff, and marketing director Alan Cesar (far right) was a finalist for the New Employee Award for management and professional staff.